Acts 13:26-31

13:26 Brothers, ¹  descendants ²  of Abraham’s family, ³  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ⁴  the message ⁵  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ⁶  him, ⁷  and they fulfilled the sayings ⁸  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ⁹  him. ¹⁰  13:28 Though ¹¹  they found ¹²  no basis ¹³  for a death sentence, ¹⁴  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ¹⁵  everything that was written ¹⁶  about him, they took him down ¹⁷  from the cross ¹⁸  and placed him ¹⁹  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ²⁰  him from the dead, 13:31 and ²¹  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ²²  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ²³  are now his witnesses to the people.

[13:26]  ¹ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:26]  ² tn Grk “sons”

[13:26]  ³ tn Or “race.”

[13:26]  ⁴ tn Grk “and those among you who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Note how Paul includes God-fearing Gentiles as recipients of this promise.

[13:26]  ⁵ tn Grk “word.”

[13:27]  ⁶ tn BDAG 12-13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b gives “not to know w. acc. of pers.” as the meaning here, but “recognize” is a better translation in this context because recognition of the true identity of the one they condemned is the issue. See Acts 2:22-24; 4:26-28.

[13:27]  ⁷ tn Grk “this one.”

[13:27]  ⁸ tn Usually φωνή (fwnh) means “voice,” but BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c has “Also of sayings in scripture…Ac 13:27.”

[13:27]  ⁹ tn The participle κρίναντες (krinante") is instrumental here.

[13:27]  ¹⁰ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:28]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And though.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:28]  ¹² tn The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[13:28]  ¹³ sn No basis. Luke insists on Jesus’ innocence again and again in Luke 23:1-25.

[13:28]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.

[13:29]  ¹⁵ tn Or “carried out.”

[13:29]  ¹⁶ sn That is, everything that was written in OT scripture.

[13:29]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “taking him down from the cross, they placed him.” The participle καθελόντες (kaqelonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:29]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “tree,” but frequently figurative for a cross. The allusion is to Deut 21:23. See Acts 5:30; 10:39.

[13:29]  ¹⁹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:30]  ²⁰ sn See the note on the phrase “raised up” in v. 22, which is the same Greek verb used here.

[13:31]  ²¹ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the conjunction “and” and the pronoun “he” at this point to improve the English style.

[13:31]  ²² sn Those who had accompanied him refers to the disciples, who knew Jesus in ministry. Luke is aware of resurrection appearances in Galilee though he did not relate any of them in Luke 24.

[13:31]  ²³ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “these” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the awkwardness of two relative clauses (“who for many days appeared” and “who are now his witnesses”) following one another.